Animal pets, such as dogs and cats, like their human counterparts, are subject to dental health problems including dental plaque and calculus (i.e., tartar). Dental plaque may include multiple species of bacteria that adhere to the surface of teeth. While dental plaque may initially be soft and easily removed, it may begin to harden within 48 hours and within about 10 days, the plaque may transform into dental calculus, which is relatively hard and difficult to remove. Dental plaque may also lead to tooth decay due to acid produced from the bacterial degradation of fermentable sugars and periodontal problems such as gingivitis and chronic periodontitis. If left untreated, the bacteria may spread to cause malodor, periodontal disease, gingival pockets and bone loss.
To address this problem, a variety of products have been manufactured to provide animal pets with objects to chew or gnaw. These products are intended to provide the pet with exercise for the teeth to maintain a healthy oral condition and satisfy a need that arose when the natural pet food, raw meat, was replaced with processed pet foods. While a number of products have been introduced to mechanically remove plaque from the teeth of animal pets, there still remains room for improvement.